Previews and reviews are in from the Seattle dailies from the Thanksgiving weekend opening performances.<P>First, a preview from R. M. Campbell in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, featuring an interview with principal Julie Tobiason, who was paired with Olivier Wevers in the opening matinee performance on Saturday, November 24:<P> <A HREF="http://seattlep-i.nwsource.com/classical/47674_clas23.shtml" TARGET=_blank>http://seattlep-i.nwsource.com/classical/47674_clas23.shtml</A> <P><BR>Next, a preview from Moira Macdonald in the Seattle Times featuring the production's 300+ children:<P> <A HREF="http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis/web/vortex/display?slug=nutkids25&date=20011125&query=Pacific+Northwest+Ballet" TARGET=_blank>http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.co m/cgi-bin/texis/web/vortex/display?slug=nutkids25&date=20011125&query=Pacific+Northwest+Ballet</A> <P><BR>Third, a review of the opening matinee performance by Moira Macdonald in the Seattle Times:<P> <A HREF="http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis/web/vortex/display?slug=nutcracker25&date=20011125&query=Pacific+Northwest+Ballet" TARGET=_blank>http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource .com/cgi-bin/texis/web/vortex/display?slug=nutcracker25&date=20011125&query=Pacific+Northwest+Ballet</A> <P><BR>And a review of the Saturday evening performance on November 24, with Patricia Barker and Stanko Milov, from R. M. Campbell in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:<P> <A HREF="http://seattlep-i.nwsource.com/classical/48094_nut26q.shtml" TARGET=_blank>http://seattlep-i.nwsource.com/classical/48094_nut26q.shtml</A> <p>[This message has been edited by Francis Timlin (edited November 26, 2001).]

Wow, PNB gets an early start on their Nutcracker performances!! Francis, do you know how many they do overall? Is it more than Boston Ballet? (I kind of thought they held the record for number of perfs., but maybe it's more of an attendance or revenue record for them.)

Oops, my apologies. After reading the links above, I learned that PNB will give 34 Nutcracker performances this year. I still don't know if that's a record (probably not- it's fewer than I thought) but I'm sure they have the record for # of children cast- 300+ !!!! Thank god they're never all on stage at once .

One of Francia Russell's "red letter" years was the year in which the school had developed enough boys to cast all boys' roles with boys. Now they have triple casts. It remains a point of especial pride with her....

I loved the show. I'm glad I got to see Julia Tobiason and Olivier Wevers in the leads. The set and the costumes by Maurice Sendak were a hoot. More comments to follow.<p>[This message has been edited by Azlan (edited November 26, 2001).]

I attended last Saturday's evening performance of Nut, with Patricia Barker and Stanko Milov in the leads, and found it as enchanting as always (which is fortunate, since I have tickets to see it twice more this season).<P>I am another of those who considers this ballet an integral part of the holiday season and have seen it at least once every year since 1981, when I was 14 (two years before the debut of the Stowell/Sendak production). In college, I found that the Nutcracker made for a terrific holiday season date. Eventually I started to wonder what other ballets were like, and the rest is history -- I am now a season subscriber and a seasonal employee of the PNB School.<P>Now that I have spent the last seven summers as a dorm counselor at PNB's Summer Course, I have the additional thrill of seeing many of "my kids" onstage as members of both the School's Professional Division and the Company. And as Mr. Stowell remarked in one of the Seattle papers last weekend, there really is something new every time you see Nutcracker.

Had to answer query regarding Boston Ballet as we're now in the throws of Nutcracker. They do 52 performances and 400 children are quadruple cast. Alas--still have to cast some girls as party boys!

Wow! I cannot imagine the amount of patience necessary to wrangle all those children! My congratulations and my sympathies to Boston Ballet, PNB, and all those other companies with enormous Nutcracker productions.

I went to the opening performance (Sat. the 24, at 2pm) with Julia Tobiason and Olivier Wevers in the lead.<BR>I thought Ariana Lallone was perfect for the peacock part. My aunt (not a dancer) agreed, saying she looked nice and snooty. I suppose that's what they want in a peacock.<BR>I was disappointed that Olivier Wevers, and most of the men for that matter, didn't have much to do except hold/lift the women. Granted this is not an easy task, but after seeing 'Three Tangos' last year (with a duet of two men), I wish the guys got to do more.<BR>Other than that, it was delightful.

I attended the evening performance on Saturday, December 2, 2001 and was treated to an excellent cast that bore a strong resemblance to the opening matinee cast on Thanksgiving Saturday. The dancers were in fine form and had the confidence built of at least one performance in their roles going into this performance.<P>It is always a treat to have Flemming Halby (former dancer with Royal Danish Ballet and First Chamber Dance Company, now a member of the PNB School faculty) perform lead character roles. The level of thought, care and detail of his Drosselmeier magnifies the dramatic elements of this production and draws them into a cogent whole. Throughout the performance, he found nuances that served to illuminate hidden and complex facets of Drosselmeier's character.<P>Stanko Milov (at 6'5") and Kimberly Davey made a regal Dr. and Frau Stahlbaum. Mara Vinson and Batkhurel Bold were outstanding as the Ballerina and Sword-Dancer Dolls. In the interpolated Masque sequence (a trio for Pirlipat, the Nutcracker and the Mouse King set to a Mozart piano/vocal duo), Valeri Hristov impressed me (once again, as he did in Don Q.) with his elegant, beautiful line.<P>In the Battle Scene, apprentice Kiyon Gaines appears on track to inherit some of the acrobatic/gymnastic roles formerly done by Seth Belliston. His mid-air splits as the Nutcracker were breathtaking. Casey Herd was an energetic and forceful lead Warrior Mouse.<P>Julie Tobiason and Olivier Wevers have often been paired together and theirs is a satisfying partnership. They are well-matched in height and temperament. Olivier is an excellent partner, always attentive and correctly focused.<P>Ariana Lallone was at her characteristic best as the Peacock -- beautifully arched back, and long, long line from head to toe. The Dervishes (Vladislav Bourakov, Timothy Lynch and Jordan Pacitti) seemed to perform with an extra edge of energy and panache. Noelani Pantastico was superb as the Rose in Waltz of the Flowers, adding just enough to the length of her balances and to the amplitude of her turns to create just the right effect, without descending into vulgar display.<P>The orchestra sounded bright, fresh, and glad to be in the presence of a great score. Stewart Kershaw conducted with his customary drive in favor of the upper edge of the speed limit.

Thanks for the reviews and impressions, folks. I'm sorry I haven't added more (I'm in the middle of a number of, um, projects). However, I do want to quickly add that the Tobiason-Wevers duo is fast becoming one of my favorites. Tobiason has an incredible sex appeal.

I am interested to read your reviews. I long to see PNB again, and hope that they will return to Hong Kong as soon as possible.